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B727 crew descends through assigned altitude while sightseeing. Complains of weak sound from altitude alert system.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 449907 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199909 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : rbv.vortac |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 23300 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : descent |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 11000 |
| ASRS Report | 449907 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 449997 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : altitude alert other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : person 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Routine flight from dca to bos outbound rbv VOR on J222. ZNY gave us descent from FL290 to FL240. The WX was perfectly clear with remarkable view of new york city. Crew was admiring the sights in descent when copilot noticed we had inadvertently descended through FL240 to about FL233. Immediately disconnected autoplt and climbed back to FL240. There was no comment or response from ATC and no known traffic conflict. This incident serves to remind air crews of the constant need for vigilance and awareness even on crystal clear VFR days when the quality of human performance may suffer due to topographical distrs. Supplemental information from acn 449997: contributing factors: inadequate altitude warning system. The tone to the warn was turned up loudest, but still is not much above audible.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B727 CREW DSNDS THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT WHILE SIGHTSEEING. COMPLAINS OF WEAK SOUND FROM ALT ALERT SYS.
Narrative: ROUTINE FLT FROM DCA TO BOS OUTBOUND RBV VOR ON J222. ZNY GAVE US DSCNT FROM FL290 TO FL240. THE WX WAS PERFECTLY CLR WITH REMARKABLE VIEW OF NEW YORK CITY. CREW WAS ADMIRING THE SIGHTS IN DSCNT WHEN COPLT NOTICED WE HAD INADVERTENTLY DSNDED THROUGH FL240 TO ABOUT FL233. IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND CLBED BACK TO FL240. THERE WAS NO COMMENT OR RESPONSE FROM ATC AND NO KNOWN TFC CONFLICT. THIS INCIDENT SERVES TO REMIND AIR CREWS OF THE CONSTANT NEED FOR VIGILANCE AND AWARENESS EVEN ON CRYSTAL CLR VFR DAYS WHEN THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE MAY SUFFER DUE TO TOPOGRAPHICAL DISTRS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 449997: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INADEQUATE ALT WARNING SYS. THE TONE TO THE WARN WAS TURNED UP LOUDEST, BUT STILL IS NOT MUCH ABOVE AUDIBLE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.